Only twelve solar salespeople in all of New England have achieved the NABCEP PV Technical Sales (PVTS) Board Certification – and four of those are ReVision Energy employee-owners. The Certificate recognizes solar professionals who have a demonstrated knowledge and expertise in qualifying prospects, site analysis, performance analysis, and financial incentives of PV systems.

To qualify for the recognition, salespeople must meet a number of requirements, including OSHA construction industry training and 58 hours of advanced photovoltaic education, before sitting for the exam. Ned Wilson, a Solar Designer in our Westfield office, obtained his back in 2015 and has recertified a number of times. He also maintains NABCEP’s PV Installation Professional Certification. North Andover-based David Carmack achieved the certification in 2018 and has also re-certified a number of times.

Calen Perkins and Grant Burgess, both Solar Designers in our South Portland branch, recently passed the exam, making them the only two people holding this certificate in Maine.

Our ReVision Energy Training Center (RETC) offers a number of apprenticeships, including a Technical Sales Apprenticeship Program, which many of our Solar Design Specialists go through. Calen and Grant decided to sit for the exam after finishing that course.

“I decided to go for the certification after finishing the Technical Sales Apprenticeship Program,” says Grant, “which I participated in with several other Solar Designers. Part of that 9-month program was to complete an online learning course which was a major part of the NABCEP requirement.”

But the credential requires more than just classroom hours and a test – real-world experience is critical to passing the exam.

“I learned a ton in the course, but the best prep for the exam was actually what I learned from my daily job, and the support I got from my teammates, who have been doing this job for so many years. A lot of the questions (all multiple choice) were designed to have multiple answers that could potentially be right in some way, and I had to choose which was the best overall answer. I found myself thinking about my own site visits, and how we talk about things in our weekly team meetings – and that’s what helped me arrive at the answers.”

Grant and Calen both say that although they are the only two salespeople in Maine with the certification, all of the Solar Designers at ReVision would qualify.

“I was grateful to have passed,” says Grant, “but I honestly think that everyone on our team, whether they have this certification or not, demonstrates every day when we visit people in their homes that they have the skill and knowledge that the certification is meant to recognize.”